Combined hose and electric signaling device.



N0. 699,455. Patented May 6, |902.

H. T. CRONK. C COMBINED HOSE AND ELECTRIC SIGNALING DEVICE.v

(Application fxled Mar. 5, 1901.\

(No Model.)

PRN

M Na /m A TTOHNEYS "Niinn STATES lArmar Enron.

HARRISON T. ORONK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,455, dated May 6,1902'.

Application filed March 5, 1901.

T0 all whom, z3 may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON T. GRONK, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved CombinedHose and Electric Signaling Device, of which the following is afull,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a hose combined with an electric signalingdevice,'and has for its object to provide a simple coupling particularlyadapted for connecting the hosesections of lire-engines and in a generalway for connecting sections of hose for the conveyance of any fluidunder pressure-such as water, steam, or compressed air-said couplingbeing designed to preserve a tight joint even at high internal pressureand to allow of the connection being quicklymade and unrnade and toprovide a complete separation or insulation of metal parts of thecoupling from the inner surface ofthe hose, thus permitting its use inconnection with an cleotric circuit along the hose to preventshortcircuiting at the junction of hose-sections, or of a section withanozzle or stand-pipe, or of a nozzle witha stand-pipe. f

A further object of my invention is to-render the hydraulic Y andelectric connections between adjacent sections of the hoseimore or lessindependent vof each other, so that in coupling the hose the electricconduit may be coupled or not, as desired.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features ofnoveltypointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part 'kofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a hosecoupling constructedaccording to my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial cross-section thereof,and Fig. 3 is a detail of an electric connecting device.

A and B are two' hose-sections made, as usual, of a material which is anon-conductor of electricity. The sections contain conducting-wires aa', preferably arranged spirally to prevent their breaking when the hoseis stretched lengthwise by the pressure of the Serial No. 49,773. (Nomodel.)

water or when the hose is wound or bent, and the endsof the wires areconnected with conducting plates or disks b b', located, respectively onthe outside and on the inside of the hose adjacent to the ends thereof.The inside plates are engaged by brass rings C, ofsubstantiallylordinary construction, and the connection between therings of adjacent hose-sections isy effected in any suitable manner-forinstance,'by means of a spring D attached to one section and in contactwith both rings C. Preferably the spring D is arranged to slide .inwardon the ring O to which it is attached, and when the hose-sections aredisconnected the spring may be moved inwardinto the hose, so that itwill not project therefrom. ,l

The adjacent 'ends of the hose-sections are turned outward, 'as shown atA B', and when it is necessary to out the hose at the end for thispurpose the openings or slits are filled ,with rubber-cement or somesimilar substance. Intothe space between the body of the hose and theturned-over portion or flange A or B fits the beveled end E of an innercoupling-section E, generally made of brass. This inner coupling-sectionhas a shoulder E2, corresponding approximately to the thickness of thematerial out of which the hose is made, and a screw-threaded portion E3.The coupling further comprises clamping-sectionsFF', having their linneren'ds'F2 beveled correspondingly to and parallel with the beveledportions E of the inner sections.

The clamping-sections F F have interior screw-threads F3 to fit thethreads E3 of the inner sections'E. One of the outer sections F has arecess with an exterior screw-thread F4, adapted to be engaged bythreads at one end of the central coupling-nut G, which at its other endhas an inward flange or projection G', adapted to interlock with anoutward flange or projection on the inner end of the clamping-sectionF'. The sections E may be provided with recesses F5, having pockets F toreceive the spring-pressed ends of a connecting devicel I. Instead ofthis the inner sections may have recesses, as F7, for the insertion ofan ordinary connecting-plug I'. At suitable points of the hose I provideInetallic plates or disks J, connected with the IOO inner wire d andrecessed, as at J', to receive a connecting-spring I2. An insulating-capJ2 may be used to cover the recess J when the spring I2 is not in use,so as to prevent. short-circuitlng when the hose islying in p uddles ofwater.

To still improve the joint of the turnedover hose ends, I may seal orcement rubber bands K on those portions of the hose-sections which areadapted to abut against each other. Further, to hold the hose ends inposition temporarily I provide thin conical brass rings or collars L,arranged to lit loosely between the 'flanges A B and the beveled innerfaces F2 of the clamping coupling-scctions F F'.

In practice one of the clamping-sections F remains connected with onehose-section end and the other clamping-section F', with the nut G,remains connected with the other hose end. To couple the hose-sections,the spring D is first projected from the hose-section carrying it andthe angles or bends of the hose at A' '3 are brought together. Then theclamping-sections F F are drawn together by turning the nut G. It willbe understood that when the parts are assembled the clamping-sections FF are screwed outwardly on the inner sections E, when the beveledsurfaces F2 will slide on the conical brass rings L and clamp thehose-flanges A IS between said rings and the beveled surfaces E of theinner sections E. The inner and clamping sections may then be lockedtogether' by means of screws M. rlhe abutting ilanges A B or the rubberbands K, ii used, will be pressed tightly together, etiecting a perfectjoint, backed or strengthened by outer or clamping sections F F, so thatthe greater the internal pressure thetighter and the better insulatedwill be the joint.

It will be observed that the metallic sections Il F F of the couplingand the nut Gf are entirely separated from the iiowing water by the bodyol:I the hose made of insulating material. The said coupling-sectionsare in permanent connection with the wires u., owing tothe engagement ofthe inner sections E with the contact-plates l). All the wires a areconnected through the medium of the metallic coupling-sections, and allthe wires a are connected 'through the medium of: the rings C andsprings D. Ihese wires can be used for signaling in an obvious manner.At the engine, for instance, a signaling apparatus, as a gong,with itsbattery, or a telephone,will have one of its terminals connected withthe wires a and the other with the wires d through the medium of anysuitable device, as the connecting devices I I I2. At the nozzle or atany intermediate point of the hose similar devices will be used toinclude in the circuit a transmitter, a circuit-closer, or any otherappliance by means ot which communication may be had with the apparatusat the engine. As the outer wires a and the metallic parts connectedtherewith cannot come in contact with the water, there is no danger of ashort -circuit.

IIaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. A hosehaving two wires embedded therein ont ofcontact with each other, and contactplates arranged on the inside andoutside respectively of the hose and each connected with one ot the saidwires.

2. A hose having two wires embedded therein out of contact with eachother, contactplates arranged on the inside and outside rcspeetively ofthe hose at the end thereof and each connected with one of said wires, aconducting-ring arranged within the hose in contact with one ot saidplates, and a couplingsection arranged on the outside of the hose and inengagement with the other contactplate.

A hose having two wires embedded therein out of Contact with each other,contactplates arranged on the inside and outside rcspectively of thehose at the end thereof and each connected with one of said wires, aconducting-ring arranged within the hose in contact with one ot saidplates, a connecting member in electrical connection with said ring andarranged to project into an adjacent hosesection to engage the ringthereof, and a coupling-section arranged on the outside ot the hose andin engagement with the other contact-plate.

et. A hose having two wires embedded therein out of contact with eachother, contactplates arranged on the inside and outside respectively otthe hose at the end thereof, and each connected with one of said wires,a conducting-ring arranged within the hose in contact with one of saidplates, a connectingmember slidable in and out of the hose at the endthereof and in electrical connection with the said ring, said connectingmember being arranged to project into an adjacent hose-seetion to engagethe ring thereof, and a coupling-section arranged on the outside of thehose and in engagement with the other contact-plate.

5. A. hose, having a wire embedded therein, contact members connectedwith the ends of the wire and arranged on the inside of the hose, and aconnecting member in electrical connection 'with one of said contactmembers and arranged to project into an adjacent hose-section, to engagethe contact member thereof.

6. rIlhe combination of two hose-sections each having two insulatedconductors embedded therein, one conductor having its ends exposed onthe inner surface of the hose, and the other on the outer surfacethereof, the abutting ends of the hose-sections being turned over orback outwardly, forming flanges, means for connecting electrically theconductors exposed on the inner surface of the hose, and a coupling inelectrical connection with the other conductors and having projectionsICO IIO

extending into the spaces between the bodies of the hose-sections vandthe iianges thereof, and portions engaging the outer surfaces of saidflanges, Ato press the hose ends together tightly and preventshort-circuiting by leaks.

7. The combination of hose-sections each having two insulated conductorsembedded therein, one conductor having its ends eX- posed on the innersurface of the hose and the other on the outer surface thereof, the hosehaving a recess in its outer surface, a conducting-plate located in saidrecess and connected with that conductor which has its ends exposed onthe inner surface' of the hose, a removable insulatingcap covering saidrecess, and means for connecting adjacent hosesections and theconductors thereof.

8. The combination ot' a coupling having its metal parts separated andinsulated from the inner surface of the hose,with an electric circuit,one leg or wire of which passes inside the hose at the coupling, beingthus insulated from the other leg or wire which passes /hrough or overthe metal parts of the couping.

9. The combination of a coupling having its metallic partsinsulatedfrorn the inner surface of the hose by the hose itself, theabutting ends of which are turned back over parts of the coupling,clamped in that position and pressed rmly together by the other partsthereof, with any electric circuit for signaling, including conductors,connections, circuitbreakers, transmitters and receivers, so arrangedthat one leg or wire passes through or is connected inside of the hoseat the coupling, andis insulated by the hose and its abutting ends fromthe other leg or wire, which passes outside the coupling, through orover the metallic parts.

10. The combination with hose-sections having their adjacent ends turnedover or back, forming flanges, the ends or bends of which are adapted toabut against each other, of inner coupling-sections each projecting intothe space between the body of a hose-section and the angethereof,clamping-sections each surrounding one of the inner sections andarranged to clamp the hose-liange against it, and a nut to turn on oneof the outersections 5o adapted for a screw connection with the otherclamping-section, so arranged that when the nut is screwed up on theother clamping-se@ tion, the flanges will be pressed together by theinner coupling-sections and backed by the 5 5 nut, and embedded in eachsection of hose two wires out of contact with each other, the end of oneconnected by contact-plate or otherwise with the inner coupling-section,and connecting through the outer sections of the 6o coupling with asimilar plate or Wire invanother section of hose or stand-pipe ornozzle, the end of the other wire entering the tube of the hose insidethe coupling, and terminating in a contact-plate which may be connectedby a suitable device with a similar plate and wire in anotherhose-section or stand-pipe or nozzle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of 7o two subscribing witnesses.

HARRISON T. cRoNK.

Witnesses:

MIRoN W. NEAL, RANDALL H. LUDLOW.

